The Tears of Autumn Study Questions & Topics for Discussion

The Tears of Autumn Topics for Discussion

What function does the French girl in the white bikini in Saigon's Cercle Sportif play in the novel?

What does the meeting with Trevor Hitchcock in Léopoldville reveal about Africa's role in world politics?

Paul Christopher and Dennis Foley each regards the other as obsessive. How do their obsessions and patriotism compare and contrast?

How does Yu Lung view non-Chinese—Vietnamese and Europeans in particular? How does this fit the racial tension in the novel at large?

How would you justify or condemn Trumbull's unilateral decision about Paul Christopher's report?

What do you think drives Gherman Klimenko to defect? Could his part in the Kennedy assassination upset him sufficiently, given all that professional spies appear routinely to do?

How is Paul Christopher's ex-wife used in the novel? Is it a fair portrayal?